CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

34.03° N · 118.17° W · GEOID 0620802

East Los Angeles

Los Angeles County, California · part of the Los Angeles, CA metro

CaliforniaEast Los Angeles, CAEast Los AngelesEast Los Angeles

The short answer

East Los Angeles is home to 111,647 people. Median household income is $68,741 a year and median rent is $1,494 a month, 26.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $643,100, about 9.4x annual median household income.

The story in East Los Angeles is how fast things are changing. Household income rose 8.3% a year while rent rose 5.7% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 99% of cities its size. Also notable: About 0 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, fewer than in 98% of cities its size. It is the lowest of 655 California places we track.

1OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

East Los Angeles scores better than 1% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 614th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%8
Economy 20%28
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%31
Education 10%4
Commute 10%22
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,494
9% above the median place
Median household income
$68,741
14% below the median place
Median home value
$643,100
101% above the median place
Unemployment
6.8%
38% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to East Los Angeles

Los Angeles County loses about 11.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in177,566
Moved out264,089
Net−86,523

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Orange County, CA23,95231,420−7,468
San Bernardino County, CA18,69534,872−16,177
Riverside County, CA10,93420,742−9,808
Ventura County, CA6,33210,470−4,138
San Diego County, CA6,9069,296−2,390
Clark County, NV5,43210,100−4,668
Kern County, CA3,6847,772−4,088
Maricopa County, AZ3,1555,844−2,689

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$89K
Leavers$94K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Los Angeles County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
1.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.2% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Los Angeles County report $89,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $94,100, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$59,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,494 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,391 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $643,100.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 8.5% work from home; 6.0% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Hempstead, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
1.2%
79% below the median place
Moved from another state1
0.2%
89% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-11.4
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEast Los AngelesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year11.2%79% below
Moved from another state10.2%89% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-11.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$89,35027% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$94,07134% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median home costs 9.4 years of the median household's income, more than in 95% of the 256 cities of 100,000 to 250,000 people we track.

East Los Angeles26.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$59,760
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
26.1%
28% above the median place
Home price to income
9.4x
146% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
26%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$50,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in East Los Angeles, $1,494 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like East Los Angeles, but easier on the budget

Places that match East Los Angeles on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Hempstead, NY8121.5% vs 26.1%$17,600Compare
Cicero, IL7119.5% vs 26.1%$6,100Compare
Waipahu, HI4719.2% vs 26.1%$29,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in East Los Angeles.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to East Los Angeles? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
33.5%
50% below the median place
Median year built1
1950
1% below the median place
Median home value1
$643,100
101% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureEast Los AngelesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,4949% above
Rent to income126.1%28% above
Property tax rate10.6%32% below
Home price to income19.4x146% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure113.613% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,96484% above
HUD area median income4County figure$108,1001% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,99022% above
Median home value1$643,100101% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.7%47% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure43.3%16% below
Homeownership133.5%50% below
Renters paying 30%+150.3%1% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,39128% above
Vacant homes15.3%25% below
Median year built119501% below
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 31.7 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 95% of the 256 cities of 100,000 to 250,000 people we track.

Income per person1
$24,246
39% below the median place
Commutes by transit1
6.0%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
6.8%
38% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute30 min +21%
Poverty rate17.3% +61%
Works from home8.5% −32%
Median household income$68,741 −14%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEast Los AngelesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$68,74114% below
Income per person1$24,24639% below
Unemployment16.8%38% above
Average annual pay6County figure$86,08030% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.0%19% below
Jobs6County figure4,525,460above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate117.3%61% above
Mean commute130 min21% above
Works from home18.5%32% below
Commutes by transit16.0%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 99% of the 256 cities of 100,000 to 250,000 people we track.

High school or higher1
55.8%
40% below the median place
Household size1
3.7
46% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
11.4%
64% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad39.2% 4.4×
No health insurance14.6% 2.3×
Median age34.7 −11%
Homes with broadband88.4% −4%
All 8 people measures
MeasureEast Los AngelesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population1111,647286th largest
Median age134.711% below
Bachelor's or higher111.4%64% below
High school or higher155.8%40% below
Household size13.746% above
Born abroad139.2%344% above
No health insurance114.6%128% above
Homes with broadband188.4%4% below
05

Life in East Los Angeles

OpenStreetMap shows 0.5 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 99% of the 256 cities of 100,000 to 250,000 people we track.

3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 25 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Pan American National Bank of East Los Angeles listed 2017
  • Chicano Moratorium March December 20, 1969 listed 2020
  • National Chicano Moratorium March August 29, 1970 listed 2020

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents2.6 −74%
Playgrounds per 10k1.1 −89%
Grocery stores per 10k0.5 −79%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k3.2 −71%
Libraries per 10k0.6 −28%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi31.7 150.8×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 25 miles
  • Cesar E. Chavez National Monument 86 miles
  • Channel Islands National Park 88 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars24.2 +16%
Shops29.6 −2%
Arts, recreation and fitness21.8 5.3×
Doctors' offices and clinics31.4 +55%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
25.3
18% below the median place
Public schools12
2,197
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
1,262,149
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureEast Los AngelesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure2,197above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure1,262,149above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure21.540% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure24.216% above
Shops per 10k8County figure29.62% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure21.8above (median 4.1)
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure31.455% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k92.674% below
Playgrounds per 10k91.189% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.579% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k93.271% below
Libraries per 10k90.628% below
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi931.7above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1025.318% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11377% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 0.0, below the median place (median 70.7).

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached East Los Angeles. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
0.0
below the median place (median 70.7)
Good air days15
10.7%
84% below the median place
Natural hazard risk14
100.0
8% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureEast Los AngelesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure89°F2% above
January average low13County figure41°F61% above
Average temperature13County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation13County figure15.1 in66% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure100.08% above
Hurricane risk14County figure0.0below (median 70.7)
Tornado risk14County figure97.720% above
Wildfire risk14County figure99.963% above
Heat wave risk14County figure99.310% above
Median air quality index15County figure7472% above
Good air days15County figure10.7%84% below
08

East Los Angeles in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 26% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 26% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, East Los Angeles does better than 9% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 65%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,494/mo (2024)$1,920/mo$1,580 to $2,340/mo+4.3%
Median household income$68,741 (2024)$89,000$75,000 to $105,000+4.4%
Median home value$643,100 (2024)$932,000$676,000 to $1,284,000+6.4%

The median home would be worth 10.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 9.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like East Los Angeles

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
South Gate, CA$1,531$74,571Compare
Commerce, CA$1,549$77,064Compare
Bell, CA$1,575$61,020Compare
Maywood, CA$1,525$60,943Compare
Maywood, CABell, CACommerce, CASouth Gate, CAEast Los Angeles, CAEast Los AngelesSouth GateCommerceBellEast Los AngelesSouth GateCommerce

Places built like East Los Angeles

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how East Los Angeles performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
East Los Angeles, CA26.1%8.3%/yrn/a
South Gate, CA24.6%7.3%/yr-2.9%Compare
Huntington Park, CA30.1%7.2%/yr-6.1%Compare
El Monte, CA30.6%6.8%/yr-4.0%Compare
Florence-Graham, CA28.0%8.0%/yrn/aCompare
Bell, CA31.0%6.6%/yr-5.8%Compare
Lynwood, CA26.5%7.5%/yr-5.5%Compare

Common questions

Is East Los Angeles a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 1 out of 100, better than 1% of the places we rate and 614th of 654 in California. On cost, space and class size it scores 9 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is East Los Angeles expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 26.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $643,100.

What salary do you need to live in East Los Angeles?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $59,760 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to East Los Angeles?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are South Gate, CA, Commerce, CA, Bell, CA and Maywood, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares East Los Angeles with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for East Los Angeles itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/east-los-angeles-california

Citytistics. “East Los Angeles, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/east-los-angeles-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.